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Snyder resident Candace Matthies ran in the 2018 Boston Marathon on Monday. She finished 9,393th out of 25,759 participants with a time of three hours and 35 minutes.
A little cold rain didn’t stop Snyder resident Candace Matthies from completing a bucket-list experience.
Matthies ran in Monday’s Boston Marathon in what was said to be the coldest temperatures in 30 years and the worst weather in the marathon’s history.
“The majority of the racers had to start out the marathon with freezing feet,” Matthies said. “The weather conditions were so awful. Twenty-five hundred people received medical treatment, and 25 elites dropped out. It was in the 30s (degrees) at the start, but the weather shows it felt like 18 to 22 degrees with pouring rain. There were headwinds of 25 and gusts of 40 mph.”
Though the weather was less than ideal, Matthies went prepared.
“The start at the athlete’s village was awful with all the rain,” she said. “Everyone was trying to huddle under the tents until it was time to get into corrals. The bad thing was it was a muddy mess with our shoes sinking into mud and water and nowhere to sit. Luckily, I brought an extra pair of shoes to wear until right before the race when I put on my racing shoes. Of course, it didn’t take long for those to get soaked.”
Despite the rain and mud, Matthies finished 2,535th out 11,604 females and was finisher 9,393 out 25,759 total participants. On average, her pace was eight minutes and 13 seconds per mile.
“I did a lot better than I thought I would,” she said. “Since I wasn’t able to train very much because of a leg injury, really my only goal was to finish and maybe get under four hours. I knew I wouldn’t be able to run a 3:17 just because I wasn’t in physical shape like I was a year ago. I finished with a 3:35:07.”
Matthies said the race required endurance and determination, as well as a little encouragement from spectators. Among her on-course cheerleaders were Matthies’ parents, husband, two children and three of her cousins.
“It was definitely physically tough, but so much more mentally tough,” she said. “I have never been so happy to finish a race. The weather didn’t stop the crowds of people from cheering us on. There were spectators just about the whole 26.2 miles. They also had a part in helping all the racers to keep going.”
Matthies also kept a positive motto in mind.
“I had a quote put on the back of my racing shirt that said, ‘The task ahead of you is never greater than the strength within you,’” she said. “I’m not sure how many times I told myself that during that race. I feel extremely proud of my finish, but I am definitely feeling the aches and pains this morning and plan on taking a nice break from running until I’m back to 100 percent. This is a race and experience that I will definitely never forget.”